their first two releases on a small indie dance label, their career has been one smooth, upward curve. But now that line is about to take a sharp rise vertically. Three lads from Northern Ireland who have spent the last two years racking up the air miles as they've taken their coruscating live show to all four corners of the globe... and still found time to make the record of their lives with their second album, 'Controlling Your Allegiance'. The Japanese Popstars - Gary Curran, Declan 'Decky Hedrock' McLaughlin and Gareth Donoghue - may have been together for a short time, but they've carved out a reputation to rival the biggest names in dance music as a must-see live act and purveyor of raucous, foot-stomping, energetic electronic dance music. In the two years since their debut album 'We Just Are' dropped on Gung-Ho!, they've gone on long tours of the States, played in Australia, across Europe and, of course Japan - a place that's especially taken them to their hearts. No surprises there, then. Now signed to Virgin Records, the forthcoming album includes their previous singles 'Let Go featuring Green Velvet, 'Destroy' with Jon Spencer 's and a number of other exiting guests including Robert Smith (The Cure), Tom Smith (The Editors), Lisa Hannigan and Morgan Kibby (M83) and James Vincent McMorrow.